Things to Do in Cherrapunji (Sohra): 15 Activities & Adventures

• Start the Nongriat trek from Tyrna by 9 am on any day but Sunday, when the village closes it. The climb back up is the hard half.
• Budget Rs 400 to Rs 800 a person for the Mawkdok zipline, and confirm the rate at the counter.
• Skip Wei Sawdong and Dainthlen. Both have been closed to tourists since 4 August 2026.
• Do not plan a picnic. A Section 163 order of August 2026 bans roadside cooking, open fires and stoves around Sohra's tourist sites.
• Dawki, Mawlynnong and Mawsynram are 80 km or more away by road. Each is its own day trip.

Cherrapunji activities at a glance

Distances are approximate road distances from Sohra market. "Time needed" is on-site time, not the drive. Prices come from operator listings and village counters we checked in November 2026, and they change often.

Activity	Where, km from Sohra market	Time needed, difficulty	Cost (per person)	Best months
Trek to the Double Decker root bridge	Tyrna to Nongriat, 12 km to Tyrna	5 to 7 h return; moderate to hard	Guide fee plus small trail fee	Oct to Apr
Swim at Rainbow Falls	Past Nongriat: beyond the Double Decker	Add 2 to 3 h; hard	Small fee at the village	Oct to Mar
Spend a night in a Nongriat homestay	Nongriat, 12 km, then on foot	Overnight; moderate	Basic room, cash only	Oct to Apr
Walk the Garden of Caves circuit	Laitmawsiang, 12 km	1.5 h; easy to moderate	Small entry fee	Oct to Apr
Walk through Mawsmai Cave	Mawsmai, 6 km	30 min; easy, two squeezes	Small entry fee	Oct to May
Look for fossils in Arwah Cave	Khliehshnong, 3 km	1 h; easy to moderate	Small entry fee	Oct to May
Go wild caving in Krem Phyllut	Past Mawsmai, 7 km	1 h or more; moderate, wet	Entry plus guide	Nov to Mar
Zipline across Mawkdok Dympep	Shillong road, 20 km	30 min; easy	Rs 400 to Rs 800	Oct to May
Go river canyoning	Streams below Sohra: varies by operator	Half day; hard	Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000	Nov to Mar
Watch Nohkalikai Falls	Nohkalikai road, 5 km	45 min; easy	Small entry fee	Jun to Oct (flow), Nov to Feb (clear view)
See Seven Sisters from the Eco Park	Mawsmai, 5 km	45 min; easy	Small entry fee	Jun to Sep
Watch Kynrem from Thangkharang Park	Shella road, 13 km	45 min; easy	Small entry fee	Jun to Feb
Catch the cloud sea at sunrise	Mawkdok or Mawsmai edge, 5 to 20 km	1 h; easy	Free to small fee	Jun to Oct
Take a heritage walk	Sohra town, 0 to 2 km	1.5 h; easy	Free	All year
Eat a Khasi meal and shop the market	Sohra town, at the market	1 h; easy	Rs 150 to Rs 300 a meal	Nov to Feb (oranges)

What's open and closed in Sohra (checked November 2026)

Site or rule	Status on 13 November 2026	What it means for your plan
Wei Sawdong Falls, Dainthlen Falls, Arliang viewpoint, Mawsawa Falls (other than via Laitlyndop)	Closed to tourists. The Sohra Sub-Divisional Magistrate barred tourist entry on 4 August 2026, under Section 163 of the BNSS, over a land ownership dispute between villages. A modified order on 5 August reopened Mawsawa Falls by the Laitlyndop approach only. No withdrawal had been reported by mid-November.	Do not attempt a back trail. See Seven Sisters, Kynrem or Nohkalikai instead.
Picnics and open cooking	Banned at Sohra's tourist sites. The administration stopped roadside cooking and open fires in August 2026.	Eat in town or carry a packed lunch that needs no stove.
Double Decker trek (Nongriat)	Open. Since mid-2025 the East Khasi Hills district administration has required tourists to hire a registered local guide for treks, and guides are hired at Tyrna.	Hire a guide at the trailhead. Trek Monday to Saturday: Nongriat village closes the Double Decker and Rainbow Falls to tourists on Sundays.
Mawsmai Cave	Open daily, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. It can shut for a few hours after very heavy rain.	Go before noon at weekends to skip the queue.
Mawkdok zipline	Runs in daylight. Operators stop in heavy rain and strong wind.	Book on the spot. Have a backup plan in the monsoon.
Entry and parking fees	Most sites charge Rs 10 to Rs 50 per adult, plus camera and parking fees set by the village council.	Carry small notes. UPI works at some counters, not all.

Trek and hike

Trekking is the main reason to spend a night in Sohra rather than day-tripping from Shillong. Three walks are worth your legs, and only one of them is long.

Trek to the Double Decker living root bridge

The Nongriat trek is the single most rewarding thing to do in Cherrapunji, and it costs you about 3,500 steps each way. You leave the car at Tyrna, about 12 km (30 minutes) south-west of Sohra by road, and drop through betel nut groves and two steel suspension bridges to Nongriat village. There, two root bridges stand one above the other over the Umshiang stream. Khasi villagers grew them by guiding the aerial roots of rubber fig trees (Ficus elastica) across the water over many decades, and they still maintain them. The way down takes 1 to 1.5 hours. The way up takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours, and that is where people stall, so pace yourself on the descent. Our living root bridges of Meghalaya guide explains how the bridges are grown, and the Double Decker entry on our places page shows where it sits among the other sights.

Nongriat trek	Detail
Start point	Tyrna village, about 12 km from Sohra. Parking at the trailhead.
Steps	About 3,500 each way (Meghalaya Tourism figure)
Time down	1 to 1.5 hours
Time up	1.5 to 2.5 hours
Total with a stop at the bridge	5 to 7 hours, or 8 to 9 hours with Rainbow Falls
Start by	9 am, so you climb out before dark
Guide	Hire a registered guide at Tyrna (required since mid-2025). Closed to tourists on Sundays.
Not suitable for	Knee problems, very young children, anyone uneasy on long staircases

Swim at Rainbow Falls

Yes, you can swim at Rainbow Falls, but only in the calm edge of the pool and only in the dry months. The fall sits about 1 to 1.5 hours beyond the Double Decker on a rougher path with boulder hops. On a sunny late morning the spray throws a rainbow across water that looks almost milky blue. Swim only if you reach the Double Decker by 11 am, because the climb back to Tyrna still waits. From June to September the current is strong and the path floods, so look and do not go in.

Spend a night in a Nongriat homestay

Staying overnight in Nongriat turns a punishing day into two easy halves. The village has simple homestays with shared bathrooms and home-cooked rice, dal and pork, paid in cash. You get the Double Decker to yourself at 7 am before the first groups arrive, a slow morning at Rainbow Falls, and the climb out in the cool of the next day. Phone signal is weak to absent. Carry a head torch, because the village has limited lighting after dark.

Walk the Garden of Caves circuit

The Garden of Caves (Ka Bri Synrang) in Laitmawsiang, about 12 km before Sohra on the Shillong road, is a 1.5-hour loop past small caves, rock arches, streams and a fall that pours through a hole in the rock. It is the best short walk in the area for people who want a trail but not 3,500 steps. The path has wet, mossy steps, so wear shoes with grip. Go between October and April, when the paths are drier.

Go caving

Sohra's limestone plateau is full of caves. Two are easy show caves and two are for people who do not mind getting wet. For the full comparison, read our guide to caves in Cherrapunji.

Walk through Mawsmai Cave

Mawsmai, about 6 km south of the market, is the cave to start with. The lit, one-way route covers roughly 150 m of stalactites and flowstone, with two tight squeezes where adults turn sideways. It takes 20 to 30 minutes, and the queue builds fast after 11 am at weekends. Hours are 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Our Mawsmai Cave guide has the full walk-through.

Look for fossils in Arwah Cave

Arwah, above Khliehshnong village about 3 km from the market, is a 15-minute paved walk from the road. Inside, the limestone holds fossils of shells and sea creatures from the time this plateau lay under water. Ask the caretaker to point out the clearest ones, because most visitors walk past them. Plan an hour. See our Arwah Cave guide.

Go wild caving in Krem Phyllut or Krem Mawmluh

If Mawsmai felt too tame, Krem Phyllut, a short drive past Mawsmai, is unlit and has a stream running through it. You need a local guide and a strong torch, and you will wade ankle-deep. Krem Mawmluh, near Sohra, is one of India's longest caves and gave its name to the Meghalayan Age in 2018. It is strictly for guided caving groups with proper gear.

Try adventure activities

Two activities need an operator and a waiver. Pick them by season, because both stop in heavy rain.

Zipline across the Mawkdok Dympep valley

The zipline at Mawkdok Dympep, about 20 km before Sohra at the Duwan Sing Syiem bridge, runs you over a deep V-shaped valley that often has cloud sitting on its floor in the morning. Operators run lines of different lengths, so ask which one you are paying for. Listings we checked in November 2026 quoted Rs 400 to Rs 800 a person, with timings of about 8 am to 6 pm. Check the rate and the harness weight limit at the counter, and skip it if the wind is strong. The ride lasts minutes. Most people pair it with the viewpoint steps and tea at the stalls. Our Mawkdok Dympep viewpoint guide covers the stop itself.

Go river canyoning

Canyoning in Cherrapunji means following a stream down its gorge on foot, by swimming, jumping into pools and, on some routes, abseiling beside small falls. Local outfits run half-day trips between November and March, when water levels are safe. Quotes we have seen run from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 a person, including helmet, life jacket and guide. Book only with an operator who provides that gear, and never attempt it in the monsoon. You need to be able to swim.

Watch the waterfalls and the views

These are short stops from the car park. The skill is timing, because cloud can wipe out a view in ten minutes. None of them allow picnics.

Watch Nohkalikai Falls drop 340 m

At about 340 m (1,115 ft), Nohkalikai is India's tallest plunge waterfall. You watch it from a railed park about 5 km west of the market. Get there before 10 am, because from June to September cloud often fills the gorge by midday. Fit hikers can take a steep guided trail down to the plunge pool in the dry months. It is a long return climb, so allow half a day. Our Nohkalikai Falls guide covers that trail.

See Seven Sisters and the Bangladesh plains from the Eco Park

The Eco Park sits on the cliff where the Seven Sisters (Nohsngithiang) streams leave the plateau and drop roughly 315 m. From June to September you watch the water pour past the railing. On a clear winter morning the same railing looks straight down onto the flat green plains of Bangladesh. For the full face of the falls, stop at the roadside Nohsngithiang viewpoint south of Mawsmai village. By January the falls can shrink to two thin threads.

Watch Kynrem Falls from Thangkharang Park

Thangkharang Park, about 13 km from Sohra on the Shella road, is a forest department garden with orchids and a railing over a drop of several hundred metres. Kynrem Falls drops about 305 m in three tiers across the gorge. It is quieter than the Eco Park, and worth the detour from June to February. Stop at Ka Khoh Ramhah, the giant cone-shaped rock, on the way. Our roundup of Cherrapunji waterfalls compares all of them. Dainthlen and Wei Sawdong are closed for now (see the status table above).

Catch the cloud sea at sunrise

In the monsoon and just after it, cloud settles in the valleys overnight and the ridges poke out above it at dawn. Mawkdok Dympep and the Mawsmai cliff edge are the two easiest places to see it. Sunrise is around 4:30 am in June and about 5:25 am in mid-October, so be at the edge 15 minutes before that, with a jacket. On clear winter evenings, the Mawsmai edge also gives you a sunset over Bangladesh.

Explore Khasi culture and food

Take a heritage walk through Sohra

Sohra was the Khasi Hills' first mission town, and a walk of about 1.5 hours links its history. Start at the Ramakrishna Mission (founded 1931), whose small museum of tribal dress, weapons and crafts explains more about Khasi life than any viewpoint. Then walk to Nongsawlia Presbyterian Church, near where the Welsh missionary Thomas Jones began work in 1841 and first wrote Khasi in Roman script. Finish at the standing stones by the roadside. These are Khasi memorial stones on clan land, so photograph them but never sit on them.

Eat a Khasi meal and shop Sohra market

Order jadoh (rice cooked with pork and spices), dohneiiong (pork in black sesame) and a side of tungrymbai (fermented soybean) at any of the small eateries near the market. A full plate runs Rs 150 to Rs 300. The market follows the eight-day Khasi cycle, so ask your hotel which day it falls on. On market day you will find bay leaf, local honey, bamboo baskets and, from November to February, small sweet Sohra oranges. Vegetarians should ask for rice with dal and local greens.

Things to do in Cherrapunji in the monsoon

June to September is when Sohra looks most like its reputation, and when the activity list shrinks. Nohkalikai, Seven Sisters and Kynrem run at full force, the cloud sea forms most mornings, and the rain itself is the show. Canyoning stops. The zipline pauses in heavy rain. The Nongriat steps turn slippery and leeches come out, so trek only with a guide and start early. Rainbow Falls is for looking at, not swimming in. If you want the falls at their fullest, come in late July or August. If you want the trails, come in October. Month-by-month detail is on our best time to visit Cherrapunji page.

Day-trip activities outside Sohra

Many lists count these as things to do in Cherrapunji. They are not in Sohra. Each needs most of a day, mostly routed back through the Shillong side.

Activity	Where	Approx. road distance from Sohra	Time needed
Boat on the clear Umngot river, snorkel at Shnongpdeng	Dawki, near the Bangladesh border	85 to 95 km	Full day
Walk Mawlynnong village and the Riwai root bridge	Mawlynnong	About 80 km	Full day, pairs with Dawki
Visit Mawjymbuin cave in the rival "wettest place"	Mawsynram	About 80 km by road (15 km in a straight line)	Full day

Dawki and Mawlynnong are about 30 km apart, so do them together on a separate day. Read things to do in Mawlynnong and our Dawki river guide, or see Dawki tour packages if you want it planned. For the rest of the state, our list of things to do in Meghalaya covers Shillong and beyond.

1-day and 2-day Cherrapunji activity plans

One day from Shillong covers the zipline, the caves and the viewpoints. The Nongriat trek needs its own morning, so it fits only the two-day plan. Our how to reach Cherrapunji page covers the drive from Guwahati and Shillong.

One day from Shillong (no trek)

Time	Activity
7:00 am	Leave Shillong
8:00 am	Zipline at Mawkdok Dympep
9:00 am	Garden of Caves loop
11:00 am	Nohkalikai viewpoint
12:00 pm	Arwah Cave
1:00 pm	Khasi lunch in Sohra
2:00 pm	Mawsmai Cave
3:00 pm	Eco Park and the Seven Sisters viewpoint
4:30 pm	Drive back, reaching Shillong by about 6:30 pm

Two days, staying in Sohra

Day	Morning	Afternoon and evening
Day 1	Zipline at Mawkdok, Garden of Caves, Nohkalikai	Heritage walk and market, Mawsmai Cave, Eco Park, sunset on the Mawsmai edge, night in Sohra
Day 2	Tyrna by 7:30 am, Double Decker by 9 am, Rainbow Falls if you are early	Climb out by 2 pm, Thangkharang Park and Kynrem, back to Shillong in the evening

With young children or seniors, drop the trek, the canyoning and Krem Phyllut. Spread the rest over two easy days instead. Nohkalikai, the Eco Park, Thangkharang, the heritage walk and the market are all a short walk from parking. The zipline usually has a minimum age and a weight limit, so ask at the counter. Our Cherrapunji tour packages bundle the car, driver and a Sohra stay around either plan.

Stay safe and pack right

Most accidents here happen on wet steps and in fast water, not on the zipline. Wear trail shoes or sandals with real grip, never smooth soles. Carry a light rain jacket in every month, salt or anti-leech socks from June to October, a head torch, and cash in small notes, because ATMs in Sohra can run out of cash at weekends. Swim only in calm pools, and never at the top of a fall. On the road, fog can cut visibility to a few metres, so do not drive the Sohra road yourself after dark.

Opening hours, closures and activity prices on this page were checked by our Meghalaya desk in November 2026 against the Sohra Civil Sub-Division's prohibitory order of 4 August 2026, Meghalaya Tourism's Nongriat listing, operator listings and on-site reports. For the full list of sights with distances, see places to visit in Cherrapunji, and for the town's background start at the Cherrapunji travel guide.

Want it planned for you? Our Cherrapunji tour packages can be customised around the two-day plan, with a Sohra night before the root bridge trek.

Edited by TravelTriangle